European Union publishes guidance on mandatory CSAM detection under Digital Services Act

The European Commission published formal guidance on October 30, 2026, clarifying how very large online platforms and search engines must implement child sexual abuse material detection under the Digital Services Act, with particular emphasis on the obligation to assess and mitigate systemic risks related to the dissemination of CSAM and the solicitation of minors. The guidance confirmed that services must deploy proactive measures including automated detection technologies where proportionate, and must ensure mechanisms are in place to respond rapidly to reports and cooperate with national law enforcement and the EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse.

Guardii's multi-platform detection architecture meets the proactive-intervention standard set out in the Commission's guidance by monitoring the conversational dynamics that precede and accompany CSAM distribution, grooming and sextortion across messaging environments. Rather than requiring every user to submit identity documents or restricting access by age cohort, Guardii identifies the threat pattern in direct messages and surfaces it to the responsible adult or authority, enabling platforms to fulfil their DSA risk-mitigation duties without imposing a blanket verification burden on all users or displacing harmful actors to less-monitored channels.